Joystick

• US 4,870,389 A
• Filed: 04/27/1989
• Issued: 09/26/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ascii Corp. (Kadokawa Dwango Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Ascii Corp. (Kadokawa Dwango Corp.)
• Inventors: Yoshida, Norifumi, Ishiwata, Takehiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, David K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FATAHI YAR, MAHMOUD
• Application Number:
  US07/346,329
• Time in Patent Office: 152 Days
• Field of Search: 341/22, 340/706, 340/709, 340/910, 340/825.19, 273/148 B, 74/471 XY, 250/221
• US Class Current: 463/38
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/22 Setup operations, e.g. calibration, key configuration or button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 9/047 the controlling member being movable by hand about orthogonal axes, e.g. joysticks for switches H01H25/04

Abstract

A joystick for a computer game which comprises a stick lever, a trigger button and a function button. In the joystick, when the function button is pressed down while the stick lever is inclined in one of directions or the trigger button is depressed, an operation specified by the inclination direction of the stick lever or by the trigger button can be executed intermittently or continuously, so that, even if the trigger button is operated long, it is possible to enhance the operation of the joystick, to reduce the fatigue of a player and to extend the life of the joystick.

Claims

1. A joystick for a video game comprising a stick lever for specifying directions and at least one trigger button which causes an operation in said video game when depressed, and a function button which is arranged and configured such that when said stick lever is inclined in one of said directions or said trigger button is depressed when said function button is pressed down and then released, a direction specified by said direction of inclination of said stick lever or said operation caused by said trigger button being depressed is continued to be performed even though the trigger button has been released or the stick lever is no longer inclined in said one of said directions.

2. A joystick as set forth in claim 1, wherein said trigger button comprises two trigger buttons and, when said function button is pressed down while said two trigger buttons are being depressed, two operations of said video game respectively specified by said two trigger buttons are performed.

3. A joystick as set forth in claim 1, wherein there is provided a speed adjust button adapted to adjust a speed at which said operation specified by said direction of inclination of said stick lever or said trigger button is performed intermittently or continously.

4. A joystick as set forth in claim 1, wherein there is provided a select button adapted to select a game and, when said function button is pressed down while said select button is being depressed, a cursor on a menu screen can be moved continuously.

5. A joystick as set forth in claim 1, wherein there is provided a start button adapted to start a game and, when said function button is pressed down while said start button is being depressed, the video game displayed on an image display device can be moved in slow motion.

6. A joystick as set forth in claim 1, wherein there are provided a plurality of LEDs respectively adapted to indicate one of said directions of inclination of said stick lever.

7. A joystick as set forth in claim 1, wherein there is provided an LED adapted to indicate that said operation is being executed intermittently or continously due to the fact that said trigger button is depressed.

8. A joystick as set forth in claim 1, further comprising means whereby said stick lever can selectively specify 8 or 4 directions of movement for a character by said inclination of said stick lever.